Lock-switch.



F. E. MATTESON.

LOCK SWITCH. Y

APPLICATION FILED )ULY 3. l916.

1,242,01 3. Patented oct. 2,1917.

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FRANK E. MATTESON, 0F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

LOCK-SWITCH.

Speceation of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 2, 1917.

Application led July 3, 1916. Serial No. 107,286.

To all whom 'it may concern: Y

Be it known that I, FRANK E. MATrnsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Lock-Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an electric switch that resembles the combination lock of a safe in general appearance and method of operation, though the internal mechanism is entirely different. The objects sought and accomplished by this mechanism are; to close an electric circuit by turning the knob a specified combination of turns; to break the circuit by turning the knob out of that position, and to so protect the mechanism itself against tampering by thieves, that it cannot be taken apart except by a definite combination of turns of the knob.

The switch may be used on light circuits and other electric service not too heavy for this kind of switch construction, but the chief purpose for which it is intended, is to safe-guard the automobile against thieves.

The idea of' a series of disks or plates (made of material that is a nonconductor of electricity and pierced in places with conductors) working one upon the other by the manipulation of the knob, to bring the conductors into alinement, is an important feature of this invention. The matching of slots with lugs between the outer edge of the knob plate and inside of case, also between outer edge of movable disks and inside of case, (all of which slots and lugs are concealed) to permit disassembling of parts when said lugs and slots are brought into proper alinement by definite movements of the knob, adds materially to the practicability of the invention.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a lock switch embodying the principles of' m invention, as seen looking in the direction indicated by the arrow -1- in Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a vertical central section as on the lines 2-2 of Figs. 1 and 3.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional detail stepped down from the top to the various planes indicated by the line 3 3 in Fig. 2. Q

Fig. 4 is a perspective of the base with the other parts removed.

Fig. 5 is a perspectiveof the rotating insulating disk.

vthe disk 8 and the lugs 5.

Fig. 6 is a perspective of the knob looking upwardly from the bottom.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional detail on the line -7- of Fig. 4 and showinga pair of brushes and a conductor.

he annular base 1 has a graduated dial 2 upon its upper face around the chamber 3 and has an inwardly extending rim 4 at the bottom of the chamber, and a series of inwardly projecting retaining lugs 5 extend inwardly from the vertical wall 6, equally spaced apart around the chamber and spaced from the rim 4, and a second series of inwardly projecting lugs 7 extends in wardly from the wall (i in vertical alinement with the lugs 5. The rim 4 extends inwardly farther than the lugs 5 and 7. The bottom insulating disk 8 has notches 9 to pass the lugs 5 and 7 and said disk fits in the bottom of the base with its lower face flush with the lower face of the base, and fits against the rim 4. The disk 8 is rotatable in the chamber until properly adjusted, and then it is secured rigidly in place by screws 1'0 inserted downwardly through the disk and screw-seated in the rim 4. A circular recess 1l is formed in the upper face of the disk 8 and a nut 12 is embedded in the lower face of the disk 8 at its center. Electric conductors 13 and 14 are inserted through brushes 15 and 16 recessed into the lower face of the disk 8, and through the disk 8, and through brushes 17 and 18 in the recessY 11.

The second insulating disk19 has notches 20 in its periphery to register with the lugs 5 and 7. One-half of the thickness of lthe disk is cut away around the periphery to produce the rim 21 adapted to fit between A central keyhole 22 is formed through the disk 19 with an integral key-lug 23 extending into the key-hole. Conductors 24 and 25 are fixed through the disk 19 in position to register with the brushes 17 and 18.

The knob 26has a lower rim 27 provided with notches 28 for passing the lugs 7 so that the rim 27 will fit below the lugs, and an upper rim 29 fitting above the lugs 7 flush with the dial 2. A circular recess 30 is formed in the lower face of the knob 26 concentric to the rim 27. A central bore 31 is formed vertically through the knob, and a screw-seat 32 is formed at the lower end of the bore 31.

The third insulating disk 33 is fitted into the recess 30 and has a conductor recess 34 in its upper face and brush recesses 35 and in its lower face. Brushes 37 and 38 are mounted in the recesses 35 and 36 in position to register with the conductors 24 and 25. Conductors 39 and 40 extend through the disk 33 and hold the brushes 37 and 38 in place. A conductor wire 41 connects the conductors 39 and 4.0 in the recess 34.

The key 42 has a head 43 upon its lower end, said head extending into the recess 11, and the key is inserted upwardly loosely7 through the key-hole 22, tightly through a central opening 44 in the third disk 33, and jammed into the screw-seat 32 so as to be rigid with the knob. The lip 45 extends from the key 42 and fits tightly in the keyseat 4G of the disk 33 and loosely in the key-hole 22, so that as the key is rotated one way or the other the lip 45 will engage the key-lug to rotate the disk 19.

The removable set-bolt 47 has a head 48 fitting against the top of the knob and the bolt extends through the knob 26 through the key 42 and through the disk 8 into the uut 12 so that by manipulating the head 48 the bolt may be tightened in the nut to hold the knob from being rotated and so that by loosening the bolt the parts are free to rotate to work the combination. A pointer 41) upon the face 50 of the knob registers with the indications upon the dial as a guide in working the combination.

lVhen the combination is known, the knob is rotated one way until the notches 20 register with the lugs 5, then the knob. is rotated the other way until the notches .28 register with the lugs 7, the set-bolt 47 is removed, and the knob carrying the second insulating disk, the key, etc., may be removed. Again, when the combination for closing the circuit is known, the knob 26 is rotated until the conductors 24 and 25 register with the brushes 17 and 18, then the knob is rotated the other way until the brushes 37 and 38 register with the conductors 24 and 25, and the circuit is closed. Any movement of the knob from this position breaks the circuit. The brushes 15 and 16 are the lower ends of the terminals of the switch, one end of the cut wire being brought to the brush 15 and the other end to the brush 16. The rims 21 and 27 interlock with the lugs 5 and 7 so as to hold the parts together except when the proper combination is worked to bring the notches 20 and 28 together. The rim 27 will hold the parts while the lugs 5 are passing the notches 20 and the rim 21 will hold while the notches 28 are passing theLlugs 7.

I claim:

1. In a lock switch, a base having a circular chamber open at the top, insulated terminals Xed at the bottom of the chamber, an insulating disk rotatably mounted in the chamber and having conductors adapted to Contact with the terminals, a knob rotatably mounted in the chamber and having insulated connected terminals adapted to contact with the conductors of the disk; interlocking notched rims and lugs upon the base and the insulating disk and the knob. a key rigid with the knob, and a key-lug rigid withithe rotatable disk.

2. In a lock switch, a base having a circular chamber open at the top, and a dial around the chamber, insulated terminals fixed at the bottom of the chamber; the bate being rotatable relative to the terminals be fore fixing; an insulating disk rotatably mounted in the chamber and having conv ductors adapted to contact with the termi nals, a knob rotatably mounted in the cham ber and registering with the dial and having insulated connected terminals adapted to contact with the conductors of the disk; permutation i-nterlocking notched rims and lugs upon the base and the insulating disk and knob; a key inserted upwardly through the disk and fixed in the knob and having a head to hold the disk against the knob, and a key-lug rigid with the disk to be engaged by the key.

3. In a lock switch, a base having a circular chamber open at the top and a dial around the chamber and a rim extending inwardly at the bottom of the chamber, an insulating disk inserted downwardly in the chamber against the rim, said disk and base `being relatively rotatable before fixing,

means fixing the disk rigid with the base, terminals extending through the fixed disk, a second insulating disk rotatably mounted in the chamber upon the first disk and having conductors adapted to contact with the terminals, a knob rotatably mounted in the top of the chamber and registering with the dial and having insulated connected terminais adapted to contact with the conductors of the second disk; interlocking notched rims and lugs upon the base and the second insulating disk and the knob; a key rigid with the knob, and a key-lug rigid with the second disk.

4. In a lock switch, a base having a circular chamber open at the top, insulated terminals fixed at the bottom of the chamber, an insulating disk rotatably mounted in the chamber and having conductors adapted to contact with the terminals, a knob rotatably mounted in the chamber and having insulated lconnected terminals adapted to contact with the conductors of the disk; interlocking notched rimsand lugs upon the base and disk and knob; a key rigid with the knob, a

key-lug rigid with the rotatable disk; a nut fixed at the bottom of the chamber, alincd openings extending upwardly from the nut through all the parts to the top of the knob, and a set-bolt inserted downwardly from the top of the knob and screw-seated in the nut and having a head to engage the top of the knob.

5. In a lock switch, a base having a. circular chamber open at the top and a dial around the chamber, insulated terminals fixed at the bottom of the chamber; the base being rotatable relative to the terminals beA fore fixing; an insulating disk rotatably mounted in the chamber and having conductors adapted to contact with the terminals, a knob rotatably mounted in the cham` ber and registering with the dial and having insulated connected terminals adapted to contact with the conductors of the disk; permutation interlocking notched rims and lugs upon the base and the disk and the knob; a key inserted upwardly through the disk and fixed in the knob and having a head to hold the disk against the knob, a key-lug rigid with the disk to be engaged by the key; a nut fixed at the bottom of the chamber, alined openings extending upwardly from the nut through all the parts to the top of the knob, and a set-bolt inserted downwardly from the top of the knob and screw-seated in the nut and having a head to engage the top of the knob.

G. In a lock switch, a base having a circular chamber open at the top and a dial around the chamber and a rim extending inwardly at the bottom of the chamber, an insulating disk inserted downwardly in the chamber against the rim; said disk and base being relatively rotatable before fixing; means fixing the disk rigid with the base, terminals extending through the fixed disk, a second insulating disk rotatably mounted in the chamber upon the first disk and having conductors adapted to contact with the terminals, a knob rotatably mounted in the top of the chamber and registering with the dial and having insulated connected terminals adapted to contact with the conductors of the second disk; means for holding the knob in the base; a key rigid with the knob, a key-lug rigid with the second disk; a nut fixed at the bottom of the chamber, alined openings extending upwardly from the nut through all the parts to the top of the knob, i

and a setbolt inserted downwardly from the top ol the knob and screw-seated in the nut and having a head to engage the top of the knob.

FRANK E. MATTESON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for iive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

